Our View: How to help homeless in Erie

Erie D.A.W.N. finds housing for women whose lives have spiraled out of control. The Downtown YMCA's after-school program keeps teens off the streets and away from bad influences.

These two programs are working hard to make life better for people who face tough times. Now the Erie County Salvation Army is stepping up to help another struggling population -- homeless children.

Those who are homeless aren't just a statistic. Their ranks once included Ashley Hudson, 28, who had to live in shelters or crash, uninvited, at friends' homes after she first lost her telemarketing job and then her car. Without public transportation to a retail job that required her to be at work at 4 a.m., she lost that job, too. "People just think you don't want to pay bills or work," Hudson told reporter Sean McCracken. "But that's not the case. Things happen, and then you're in a rut you can't get out of," she said.

Erie D.A.W.N. (Dwellings and Advocacy for Women in Need) came to Hudson's assistance, setting her up with an apartment and intensive case management to help her manage financially. In early December, Hudson got hired for a full-time job in a nurse's training program, according to Maureen Dunn, executive director of Erie D.A.W.N.

To better serve Erie teens who face their own struggles in poverty, the Downtown YMCA is renovating space that was once used as transitional housing for men. The Y's current Teen Center is about 1,400 square feet and serves anywhere from 25 to 55 teens a day. The Erie Community Foundation has awarded a $100,000 grant for the renovation, which will also be financed with tax credits and a capital campaign. With 6,000 square feet of space, the center will have room for additional computers and for a media room where teens can work on videos similar to the one they made in 2012, "30 to Life," which warned teens about the consequences of gun violence. The young people will also get help with résumés, job applications and financial aid forms for postsecondary education. "Many of the kids we serve don't have the support at home to help them with the process. These are good kids. They just need some direction and guidance," said Sean Beers, the Downtown Y's executive director.

Some teens also need a place to sleep at night. Most of Erie's homeless children live in local shelters, but about a dozen students in the Erie School District are totally on their own. "Some kids have been going through this for years," said Danny Jones, student assistance program director and homeless liaison for the school district. The Salvation Army is seeking money from its statewide organization to develop the shelter but will also need money for annual operating costs.

If you are looking for organizations that can use a helping hand at this time of year, when we celebrate the joys of being home for the holidays, keep Erie D.A.W.N., the Downtown Y and the Salvation Army in mind.